Access to this article is available to valid users

Register: If you do not have one already, register for a free account.

Article Abstract

Suicide rates vary by country and by mental disorder. What does not vary, though, is that the number
of suicides per year is not declining and that a person with a mental disorder is more likely to
commit suicide than one without such an illness. Although many pharmacologic interventions have
been reported to reduce the risk of suicide among mentally ill patients, especially those with bipolar
disorder, the effects of such interventions are inconsistent at best. Lithium is the only medication for
which the evidence consistently shows an antisuicidal effect.